Project Gaditas

Project Gaditas Overview

Let me ask you this…Do you remember when you were 12 years old? What was happening back then? Was it a healthy childhood?

What if, when you were twelve, you started to use drugs, next thing you’re dealing drugs and in trouble with the law for the NEXT twelve years.

What person would you become after these twelve years? What would be the odds of turning your life around to a positive route by that point in your life? IF you’re alive or in prison.

The odds are very low, however as the motivational speaker Les Brown says: “It’s possible!” It’s possible for people to turn their lives around and martial arts can be an amazing personal development tool for those who are on the wrong path in life, that is why a lot of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners say: “Jiu-Jitsu saves lives” and it did save the life of 34 year old Eduardo Oliveira from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Eduardo grew up in a rough impoverished community in Porto Alegre, Río Grande do Sul. And in Brazil usually the drug dealers have start carving a career plan for the young kids who start as “watchers”, they watch if the police are coming and let the drug dealers know.

For this kind of work a 12 year old can make more than their mom and dad together plus flashing the new shoes and jewelry?? For some, that can be very exciting.
For the jiu-Jitsu projects located inside these impoverished communities can LITERALLY save lives, and Eduardo was saved by jiu-Jitsu and achieved his black belt by his coach Guto Campos, 2018 Double Gold Master World Champion .

Eduardo decided to start a BJJ social project to teach kids around the age that he started to get in trouble.

At first he used some old beat up mats and start asking for donations for the gi’s and the project started to grow.

Now in 2018 he teaches 200 students in two locations, and the HQ, which is attached to his house where he lives with his wife, two of his kids plus 17 adopted kids. You heard that right 17.

He arranged a sponsorship with a bakery that provides breakfast for them, school tutors, local doctors who donate their time to check their health: Physicians, dentists, psychologists anyone who can help with their health and development. Projeto Gaditas SAVES LIVES literally.

If you have been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for a while, you have to agree that BJJ is not only a great way to learn how to defend yourself and to get in better shape but it is also an amazing personal development tool, that unfortunately is not accessible to everyone, especially to kids and young adults from impoverished communities, and YOU can help the process of introducing jiu-jitsu to them.

Currently Eduardo is working on expanding the facility. There is one big room full of bunk beds, and his goal is to create more rooms to split the boys, girls and the little ones, extra bathrooms, plus their own cafeteria, and turning the big room into a classroom.

The total investment is estimated in $10000, and Live Jiu-Jitsu joined Eduardo’s mission to put his vision to reality.

For those who don’t know I’m the co-founder of Live Jiu-jitsu, which is a 501 c3 Nonprofit Organization that supports social projects currently in Brazil and the United States who offer free Jiu-Jitsu classes in underprivileged neighborhoods, inspiring, impacting and improving the lives of thousands of kids and young adults, helping them to stay away from drugs and crime, creating hope and creating champions on and off the mats.

We currently support multiple projects and you can choose which cause would you like to donate at www.livejiu-jitsu.org , click on Projeto Gaditas to help Eduardo to continue saving lives.

Also on October 26, 27 & 28 Live Jiu-Jitsu is partnering up with the IBJJF Hall of Famer Robson Moura for the 2018 RMNU Annual Training Camp in Tampa, Florida.

I will be there teaching a class, sharing more about Live Jiu-Jitsu and also doing a raffle to raise money for Projeto Gaditas.

Eduardo’s purpose is to change lives through jiu-jitsu. Despite all the difficulties and struggles, he woke up for life and had his vision of giving back and preventing that more kids experience what he lived.

Now I would like you to reflect on your purpose, do you think about it at all? I believe we all have a purpose in life, and it’s your job to find yours and do your best to live in congruence with the vision of your life, because life is short so might as well live a meaningful and fulfilling one.

In closing I’m going to share with you the same Bob Marley quote that I used in Episode 16 with Nonprofit Skate After School Co-Founder Bobby Green.

Life is one big road with lots of signs.
So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind.
Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy.
Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality.
Wake Up and Live!